Thermostatically-controlled valve mechanism



1,1s4;oss

Dec. 9, 1930.

J. v. GIESLER THERIOSTATICALLY CONTROLLED VALVE IECHANISI Filed Obi. 30

, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Dec, 9, 1930. J. v. GIESLER 1,734,055

THERIOSTATICALLY CONTROLLED VALVE MECHANISM Filed Oct. 30, 1926 2Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Dec. 9, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE JEAN V.GIESLER, 0F KNOXVILLE, TENNESSEE, ASSIGNOB, BY, MESNE ASSIGNMENTS,

TO THE FULTON SYLPHON COMPANY, OF KNOXVILLE, TENNESSEE, A CORPORA- TIONOF DELAWARE THERMOSTATICALLY'GONTROLIJED VALVE MECHANISM Applicationfiled October 30, 1926 Serial No. 145,341.

This invention relates to thermostatically controlled valve mechanism,and particularly to valve mechanism of this character for controllingthe circulation of a cooling medium through the cooling system of aninternal combustion engine. The invention is capable of embodiment bothin valve mechanism of the choker type wherein the opening and closing ofthe valve determines the circulation of the cooling medium, and in valvemechanism of the by-pass type wherein the movement of the valvedetermines the path of circulation of the coolingmedium.

It is an object of this invention to provide a thermostaticallycontrolled valve mechanism of simplified construction so that the samemay be inexpensively manufactured and readily installed.

Another object of this invention is to provide a thermostaticallycontrolled valve mechanism with improved means of simplifiedconstruction for supporting the thermostat in operative relation to thevalve elements; and also improved means of simplified construction forassociating a thermostat support with the valve seat.

Other objects will appear as the description of the invention proceeds.

The invention is capable of receiving a variety of mechanicalexpressions, some of which are shown on the accompanying drawings, butit is to be expressly understood that the drawings are for purposes ofillustration only and are not to be construed as a definition of thelimits of the invention, reference being had to the appended claims forthat purpose.

Referring in detail to the drawings wherein the same referencecharacters are em-' ployed to designate corresponding parts in theseveral figures,

Fig. 1 is an enlarged axial sectionof an embodiment of the presentinvention.

Fig. 2 is an inverted perspective of one embodiment.

Fig. 3 is a perspective of a U-shaped strap which may be used alone orin conjunction with a similar strap to constitute the thermostatsupport.

Fig. 4 is an elevation of a thermostat support formed from sheet metaland employing more than two arms; and

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of another form of thermostat support whichmay be used in conjunction with certain features of the presentinvention.

Referring in detail to the drawings, 1 is a thermostat of any suitableconstruction and shown as composed of a'corrugated,'expansible andcollapsible, tubular metal wall, preferably of resilient metal, andsuitably secured, as by brazing or soldering, at its opposite ends to anend wall 2, designed to be secured in fixed position, and an end wall 3,designed to move under the expansive and contractive action of anysuitable thermosensitive medium enclosed within the same. In the formshown, the end wall 2 is provided with a threaded boss 4 whereby thethermostat may be secured in fix'ed position, and said boss may also beprovided with a filling aperture 5, shown as sealed, as by a stopper 6and solder 7, after the thermosensitive fluid has been introduced intothe thermostat. The movable end wall 3 is shown as provided, interiorlyof the thermostat, with a tubular stop 8 for limiting the contraction ofthe thermostat, and exteriorly the movable end wall is provided in anysuitable way with a stem 9 shown as threaded at its outer end 10 for apurpose to be described.

Associated with said thermostat is a valve seat of any suitable size andconstruction. In. the form shown, a ring 11 is provided with a centrallyarranged aperture12 to constitute a valve port, and mounted within saidport 12 is a spider 13, preferably formed integrally with the ring 11and composed of a plurality of radially extendin arms which terminate ina centrally dispose ring 14 having an axial aperture 15. The valve stem9 projects througn the aperture 15, said ring 14 acting as a guide forsaid valve stem, and

any suitable position and manner, as by a cotter pin 18 passed through ahole 19 drilled in said hub and stem.

The central hub member 14 of the spider may be made of such length, orit may be so positioned by the axial configuration of the spider, thatits inner face 20 constitutes a stop for engagement with the movable endwall 3 of the thermostat, or suitable means mounted thereon or on thevalve stem, so as to limit the extent to which said thermostat mayexpand.

In conformity with the present invention, simplified means are providedfor mounting the thermostat 1 in association with the ring 11; also forassociating the thermostat support with said ring. In its simplest formthe thermostat support taks the form of a U-shaped strap 21, as shown inFig. 3, said strap being preferably formed of sheet metal so as toprovide a pair of arms 22 and an intermediate base portion 23 which isalso provided with an aperture 24. Said U-shaped support is mounted inengagement with the stationary end wall 2 of the thermostat with thethreaded boss 4 projected through the aperture 24 in the base of saidU-shaped support. The support is then clamped fixedly to the stationaryend wall of the thermostat by a nut 26 threaded onto the boss 4. Thearms 22 are then secured to the ring 11 in any suitable way. In thepreferred form said ring 11 is provided with an annular slot, orsuitably positioned separate slots 27, into which the ends of the arms22 may be inserted and there retained. Preferably holes 28 are drilledinward from the periphery of the ring 11 and through the ends of thearms 22, and pins 29 are then driven into said holes so as to securelylock the ends of the arms 22 in the slots 27. If desired, the arms 22may also be soldered in the slots 27, or they may be attached to thering 11 in other ways; for example, the arms 22 may be soldered to thering 11 in any suitable relation thereto without the use of the pins 29,although the pins are preferred because of the security of theattachment, or said arms 22 may be pinned to the periphery of the ring11 without the use of said slots 27.

In place of using a single U-shaped strap the thermostat support may becomposed of a pair of U-shaped supports 21 and 30 as shown in Fig. 2,the two straps being angularly related and shown as positioned at rightangles with respect to each other, and the boss 4 passed throughapertures'in both straps so that they are secured fixedly to the endwall 2 of the thermostat. The ends of both straps are then secured tothe valve ring 11, as in the manner heretofore described.

If desired, the two straps may be soldered together either before orafter they are mounted in position on the boss 4 and thereby made into amulti-armed unit.

While the thermostat supportmay be composed of a plurality of straps asjust de scribed, the several arms of the support may be formedintegrally by stamping the entire support out of sheet metal and bendingthe arms into position. This embodiment of the invention is shown inFig. 4 wherein a blank 31, having the desired number of arms 32, isstamped from sheet metal and the arms are then bent into the positionshown. In this embodiment of the invention three, four or any otherdesired number of arms may be provided, the arms being preferablyequally spaced around the periphery of the support thereby formed. Thesupport is provided with a centrally arranged aperture in its base forthe reception of the boss 4 of the thermostat and the ends of the arms32 are secured to the valve ring 11, as in the manner heretoforedescribed.

While the thermostat support is preferably formed of sheet metal bentinto form as heretofore described, the novel method of attaching thethermostat support to the valve ring may also be used with a thermostatsupport of drawn or cast construction. In Fig. 5 is shown a thermostatsupport 33 which takes the form of a drawn cup provided with a pluralityof openings 34 in its peripheral wall and a centrally arranged aperture35 to a receive the threaded boss 4 of the thermostat in its bottomWall. This thermostat support may be assembled with the thermostat inthe manner heretofore described and the rim 35 of the support may thenbe assembled with the valve ring in the manner heretofore described inconjunction with the other embodiments.

Assuming that the thermostat has been assembled and charged with athermosensitive fluid to operate at a predetermined temperature, thesame may be assembled with the thermostat support by passing thethreaded boss, 4 on the stationary end wall of the thermostat throughthe aperture in the base of the support and then locking the same inposition b the nut 26. The valve stem 7 may then be passed through thehub 14 of the spider in the valve ring 11 and the outer end of thethermostat support engaged in the slot or slots 27 of said valve ring.The valve disk 16 may then be threaded onto the the outer end 10 of saidvalve stem to such a position as to withdraw the interior tubular stop 8of the thermostat slightly away from the stationary end Wall 2 when thevalve disk 16 is in contact with its seat 11. The valve disk may then belocked in this position, as by drillin the hole 19 through the hub andstem and the introduction of the cotter pin 18. The thermostat supportmay then be secured to the valve ring 11, as by drilling the holes 28and introducing the pins29, and then soldering the same if desireperature has been reached at which the device is intended to operate,when the thermostat will begin to expand and move the valve disk 16 awayfrom its seat 11 to permit and control circulation of the coolingmedium. When the valve mechanism is to be used in a cooling system ofthe by-pass type, it will be associated with passages including aby-pass of any suitable construction and the path of the cooling mediumwill be controlled by the position of the valve disk 16' with respect tothe valve ring 11 and the by-pass entrance or outlet, as the case maybe, in the. manner well understood in the art. In either event the valvedisk may be provided with a leakage aperture 37 to assure that therewill be slight circulation over the thermostat even when the valve diskis in contact with its seat.

It is to be understood that the thermostat may be of any suitablecharacter; for example, it may be charged at a pressure belowatmospheric, at normal or atmospheric temperature, so that atmosphericpressure tends to collapse the bellows at normal temperature, to the endthat a leak in the bellows will result in a tendency of the valve 7 toopen by reason of the equalization of the interior and exteriorpressures. The valve disk may also be made of any suitable area withrespect to the effective area of the bellows so that the pressure of thecirculating fluid may tend to move the valve to safety position upon theoccurrence of a leak in the thermostat. I

It will therefore be perceived that thermostatic valve mechanism hasbeen provided of simplifiedconstruction whereby the same is inexpensiveto manufacture and easy to install. As the thermostat support may beformed. entirely of sheet metal, readily stamped'and bent to shape, andas said support may be quickly and easily secured to the valve ring tomaintain the parts fixedly in assembled relation, the cost ofmanufacture and assembly has been materially reduced.

While the embodiments of the invention illustrated on the drawings havebeen described with considerable particularity, it is to be expresslyunderstood that the invention is not restricted thereto as the same iscapable of receiving other mechanical expressions, some of which willnow readily suggest themselves to those skilled in the art, Whilechanges may be made in the details of construction, arrangementand-proportion of parts without departing from the spirit of thisinvention. Reference is therefore to be had to the claims heretoappended for. a definition of said invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In a device of the character described, in combination with athermostat including movable and stationary end 'walls, valve mechanismoperatively related thereto and including a valve disk and a valve seat,said valve seat being provided with one or more slots, a support, forsaid thermostat secured to said stationary end wall and having its endssecured in said slots.

2. In a device of the character described, in combination with athermostat including movable and stationary end walls, valve mechanismoperatively related thereto and including a valve disk and a valve seat,said valve seat being provided with one or more slots, a sheet metalsupport for said thermostat fixedly attached to said stationary end walland provided with a plurality of arms having their extremities securedin said slots.

3. In a device of the character described, in combination with athermostat including movable and stationarv end walls, valve mechanismoperatively related thereto and including a valve disk and a valve seat,said valve seat being provided with one'or more slots, and a sheet metalsupport for said thermostat bent to provide a plurality of longitudinalarms, said support being attached to the stationary end wall of saidthermostat at its central portion and having the extremities of saidarms pinned in said slots.

4. In a device of the character described,

in combination with a thermostat, a valve seat ring, a valve stem anddisk operatively associated with said thermostat, means for supportingsaid thermostat in operative relation to said valve seat ring includinga plurality of separate a-ngularly related U- shaped supports eachsecured to said valve seat ring, U-shaped supports to said thermostat.

5. In a device of the character described, in combination with athermostat including movable and stationary end walls, valve mechanismoperatively related thereto and including a valve disk and a valve seat,and a support for said thermostat formed of. separate U-shaped elementswhich cross at their central portions and provide a plurality of axiallyextending arms, means for securing said thermostat to said elements attheir intersection, and means for securing the ends of said arms to saidvalve seat.

and means securing each of said

